Akita Rescue of Western NY, Inc. is a non-profit, charity organization that covers the northeast USA. ARWNY helps with saving & rehoming Akitas in need, as well as offering advice with health, nutrition, temperament and training of Akitas everywhere! Of course, we don't take the place of great vets or wonderful trainers/behaviorists but we are willing to help in any way we can!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Good rescue vs bad rescue???

Sadly just as there are good breeders and bad breeders, we have good rescues and bad rescues. Its a very sad thing that we have to admit that -- anyone saying they are helping Akitas should be doing it right and be a good rescue.

BUT -- just as human charities have bad people involved in them, so too does rescue. People with ego issues, who can't and don't work well with others, whose agenda is about themselves and NOT about the dogs are doing bad rescue; doing it for profit, for ego, to make "heros" of themselves.

But also, there are those who are deluded enough to think that ALL dogs can be saved. That's a very dangerous way to feel with a breed that has the strength and possible aggression our Akitas can have. Sadly -- much as we wish we could -- we cannot save them all. And anyone who thinks they can "save them all" need only realize they will quickly be overloaded with unadoptable Akitas with human aggression issues that cannnot be overcome. All Akitas must be properly evaluated before being taken into rescue and rehomed. They must be safely euthanized if they cannot live in society as a trusted family member. It breaks my heart with each Akita I must euthanize but I cannot risk a child, a person, being mauled due to my "bleeding heart".

How much space and resources do we have to save all the Akitas in need -- the ones untouchable due to mental issues, the aggressive ones due to bad breeding & bad training, the fearful/aggressive ones who will bite anyone out of fear of humans, the unstable ones that are nice one minute and attack the next minute?? We don't have enough space for all the GOOD, adoptable Akitas out there -- sadly as the economy gets worse and worse, we find ourselves begging more & more for donations to cover our monthly expenses for food, boarding, vetting. How could we take up spaces for unadoptable dogs, that will never get homes due to being unsafe to place, due to aggression issues we cannot overcome???

So another form of bad rescue is the rescue that insists that all Akitas can be saved -- when in fact, after 22 yrs in rescue, I have sadly learned that is not true. Today's society does not tolerate nips, growls, bites even when the dog has been provoked/prodded/pushed into it, so they will never tolerate an Akita that simply bites due to mental issues, bad training, unsocialization issues. We all know when a dog bite is reported, that legal action follows.

So its imperative that we do rescue in a responsible, safe manner so NO human is hurt, no other dog is hurt. Those who are so sure they "know better" than those of us who have been in the trenches so long, will sadly find out we DO know what we are doing -- but sadly, they won't learn it until someone is badly mauled, a dog is killed, a child is maimed, and they get sued, due to a bad placement.

Anyone that promises you they will save ALL Akitas and will be able to work with ANY Akita is doing the breed a disservice and misleading the public. There sadly are not enough days in the week, not enough space, not enough money, to save ALL Akitas. Our breed is being given up in record numbers today -- even groups as large as ARWNY are being pinched by the drop in adoptions, drop in donations, drop in space for these big dogs. Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is aimed at our breed now and doing bad placements only adds fuel to that fire.

Please take the time, when working with a rescue, to determine what the difference is between a good and bad rescue. The Akita Club of America's Rescue Committee, which I co-chair, has just instituted a Rescue Code of Ethics -- which these types of bad rescues could not possibly sign -- a first sign they are not good rescue. Check on a rescue person's website for the Code of Ethics -- that will help you determine you are dealing with an ethical rescue, who does good safe placements.

Unless someone is doing rescue RIGHT, its not fair to our breed!! I'd rather there be NO rescue rather than BAD rescue -- bad rescue hurts all of us. Please think long and hard about this subject -- its a very serious one.

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About ARWNY and a bit about me

Nancy Lamm & Lynny Benzinger helped start ARWNY way back in 1996 but both were doing rescue since the late 70s; I started doing Akita Rescue in '86 first w/ ARSA, then w/ DVAR.
Joining ARWNY in '99 as VP/Director, I helped to expand ARWNY's territory over the next few yrs, from covering Western NY to almost the entire NE USA with the help of many wonderful volunteers! Over the years, I have watched the idea of rescue grow from a small, little-known concept to a source of pride & achievement within the Akita community; I'm proud to have been a part of this growth. I learned how to do rescue correctly by helping & volunteering, taking advice from fellow rescuers in Akitas & other breeds, as well as learning everything I could from wonderful Akita breeders & show people along the way.
I am proud of the work we do in ARWNY -- we have wonderful volunteers & supporters so it makes our work meaningful in so many ways!!
I currently reside w/my daughter Jenn, who is also part of ARWNY, & our newest adopted Akita Zeus, who came to us when our beloved BaeBae went "over the Rainbow Bridge" recently.

Video For JuJu & all abused Akitas

ARWNY ADOPTER VIDEO

ARWNY PICNIC VIDEO

Akita Club of America National Show

Some of our great adopters at the ACA Parade!

WELCOME TO ARWNY'S BLOG!!

Hopefully you will find this blog helpful in understanding the work rescue does in saving Akitas. The joy, the heartbreak, the decisions we all have to make when trying to save the lives of Akitas in peril. My hope is that you will realize how much time & effort goes into saving even just one Akita, let alone the many that ARWNY does save. Its wonderfully rewarding work but filled with heartbreak & dispair when we don't have room to help save Akitas in need or get involved with a puppymill situation, or take in a very ill, sick Akita like Wish, like Ben. We realize we can't save them all -- but we hope by reading this blog, you will all realize that we do a tremendous amount of work in saving those we are able to rescue!!